The reviews for Marvel and Sony’s collaboration, Madame Web, are in, and they’re not pretty. Described as “a new low for superhero debacles” and “a genuine Chernobyl-level disaster,” the film seems to have missed the mark with both critics and audiences.
Directed by S.J. Clarkson (The Defenders), Madame Web stars Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) as a New York paramedic with psychic abilities. Despite Johnson’s performance, the film has been criticized for its mechanical screenplay and lack of imagination.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film “operates on a need-to-know basis, forcing people to explain themselves through inelegantly breathless exposition.” The Daily Beast describes it as “a debacle incapable of seeing its every subsequent misstep,” while Rolling Stone calls it “a genuine Chernobyl-level disaster.”
Collider notes that the writing “strains to emulate teenage girls cracking wise with each other,” and IndieWire criticizes its “lack of stakes” and “absence of style.” Overall, critics seem to agree that Madame Web falls short of expectations for a superhero film.
Despite the scathing reviews, the film had its world premiere last night and is set to open in theaters tomorrow. Whether it will be able to overcome its negative reception remains to be seen.